Wellington City Council’s Basin Reserve Masterplan

Wellington City Council is finally developing a Basin Reserve Masterplan. That’s good: the lack of such a plan was adversely noted at the Board of Inquiry hearing. But it could also be bad: the Council may use it as a pretext to demolish the Museum Stand, which houses the New Zealand Cricket Museum, and to make other changes which may adversely affect the Basin.

So we need to be vigilant, and we need to have our say. It’s not yet possible to submit directly on the Masterplan itself, but the seeds of it are sown in the Council’s 10-year Long Term Plan at http://www.our10yearplan.co.nz/ – itself a very important document to submit on, as other planning documents are derived from it:

P. 37 mentions the Basin Reserve Masterplan. Cost is at $21m. Note that the actual master plan will be brought back to Council later in the year. The actual detail is not in the Plan which will make it a bit difficult to feed back on but think it important that high level feedback is given through this process.

The supporting document that discusses the Basin Reserve makes it clear that the future of the Museum Stand is still under threat – there’s a risk it may be demolished, and with it the Cricket Museum which it houses. So you might want to submit on these points:

No flyover or similar transport project should be allowed to threaten the future of the Basin!

Preservation of the Museum Stand and the New Zealand Cricket Museum

Emphasis the importance of the Basin to Wellington, not just as a cricket ground but a recreation facility.

Greater Wellington (aka Wellington Regional Council), while busily supporting more motorways and longer airport runways, is at the same time developing its climate change strategy, which is meant to cover both actions the region should take to reduce its contribution to climate change, and actions needed to adapt to the effects of climate change, such as sea level rise, storm surges, coastal erosion, flooding, and increased extreme weather events.

You have until Friday 10 April to have your say on the draft plan, which might be a good opportunity to point out any contradictions you see between the Council’s words and its actions, as well as recommending actions you think the region needs to take: http://haveyoursay.gw.govt.nz/climate-change

The New Zealand Transport Agency’s appeal to the High Court of the Board of Inquiry decision to decline resource consent for a Basin Reserve flyover has been set down for Monday 20 July.

The hearing is expected to last two weeks.

NZTA will be claiming that the Board decision was wrong on various points of law. The Board itself will not be represented at the hearing. That means it’s up to groups like us to defend the Board’s decision.

Save the Basin Campaign Inc and Mt Victoria Residents Association have jointly taken on Matthew Palmer QC to act for them at the hearing.

We need to raise $50,000 to pay for this legal representation. We have raised a good chunk of this. We have four months to raise the rest.

Many of our supporters have already contributed generously, and that’s much appreciated. We’re happy to accept donations via https://savethebasin.org.nz/donate/ but we also need your help with the names of new people to approach.

Got a friend who’s opposed to a Basin Reserve flyover and wants to stop it going ahead? Let us know their name and contact details by emailing stoptheflyover@gmail.com, and we’ll approach them.

NZTA are using taxpayers’ money – your money – to continue to push for their unwanted, unnecessary, ugly and expensive flyover. By putting our heads and our funds together, we can and will stop them.

Local groups that believe the decision by the Board of Inquiry into the Basin Bridge project should stand, are energetically raising funds to defend the decision against the New Zealand Transport Agency’s appeal to the High Court.

At the same time, they are taking the lead by organising an event to discuss what could happen next at the Basin Reserve in the context of Wellington’s development as an attractive, liveable and modern city.

The event, entitled “No Bridge at the Basin – What Now?”, is being organised by the Save the Basin Campaign Inc. and the Mt Victoria Residents’ Association, in partnership with the recently-formed group FIT Wellington (Fair, Intelligent Transport Wellington). It features a panel chaired by Mary Varnham and including Julie Anne Genter, Russell Tregonning, Sarah Poff and Michael Kelly.

Save the Basin Campaign spokesperson Tim Jones said, “Despite the fact that the Basin Bridge Board of Inquiry made the reasons why a flyover at the Basin Reserve should not be built very clear in its report, the New Zealand Transport Agency and local authorities have failed to take its findings on board. ”

The New Zealand Transport Agency’s appeal against the Board of Inquiry’s decision to decline resource consent for a Basin Reserve flyover is set to be heard in the High Court starting on 20 July 2015, and the Save the Basin Campaign and the Mt Victoria Residents’ Association will be jointly represented at the hearing by Matthew Palmer QC.

“This event gives Wellington residents who support the Board’s decision an opportunity to talk about what they want for the Basin and for Wellington’s transport system”, Tim Jones said, “as well as contributing towards the costs of our legal representation at NZTA’s appeal.”

The Pizza & Panel evening is being held on Thursday 12 March from 6-8pm at New Crossways, 6 Roxburgh St, Mt Victoria. Admission (including the cost of pizza) is $20 full/$10 concession.